NIR = NETWORK INFORMATION RETRIEVAL

Utilities

• Finger
  
  Definition: Finger retrieves information about a user registered on a host computer.
  • Finger description: Unix manual page for finger: unix man finger
  • Finger Protocol (rfc1288.txt) The Finger User Information Protocol, by D. Zimmerman
  • Finger via email: : mail dlangley@netcom.com Subject: #finger USER@HOST.DOMAIN"
  • Finger via gopher gopher to HOST, port 79, path 0USER-ID
  • Finger via telnet access finger via telnet HOST=host on which USER is located, then type USER
  • Finger via WWW (mfinger)
  • FingerInfo (fingerinfo) a script to get information via finger, by Scott Yanoff
  • FingerInfo via WWW (fingerinfo.html) a hypertext version of Scott Yanoff's FingerInfo script, by A. Daviel
  • Logfinger A Program to Log a Fingerer
• Netfind
  
  Definition: Netfind provides a simple Internet `white pages' user directory.
  • Netfind description (README) a way to find someone on the Internet, by Michael F. Schwartz
  • Netfind info/EARN (netfind.html) an overview and introduction to Netfind, from European Academic Research Network Association (EARN)
  • Netfind source
  • Netfind via Web (netfind.html)
  • Netfind via telnet using telnet to find someone on the Internet Login as : netfind
  • Netfind via email: use email to find someone on the Internet: mail listserv@brownvm.brown.edu Body: "get netfind help"
• Nslookup
  
  Definition: Nslookup is an interactive program to query Internet domain name servers (gives IP address).
  • Nslookup man page: Unix man page: unix man nslookup
  • Nslookup command: command to find out about command-name: unix nslookup domain-name
• Ping
  
  Definition: Ping requests echo from network host; see if remote host is up.
  • Ping source source code and a description of Ping and its use (README)
  • Ping demo: check to see if host uwm.edu is up and roundtrip time: unix /usr/etc/ping -s uwm.edu
  • WWWPing (wwping) simple internet pinging, and for HTTP pinging, with server identification, by Jonathon Fletcher
• Shepherd
  
  Definition: Shepherd monitors information servers (gopher, WAIS, WWW, jughead) to make sure they are responding.
  • Shepherd monitoring tool for gopher, WAIS, WWW, jughead
• TIA = The Internet Adapter (tm)
  
  Definition: The Internet Adapter (tm) $, allows you to use TCP/IP applications using a UNIX shell account.
  This is classified as an "Internet access utility."
  • TIA (tiahome.html) The Internet Adapter (tm), $
• WHOIS
  
  Definition: WHOIS provides information on registered computer network users, domains, and organizations.
  • Whois info/EARN (whois.html) overview and introductory information about WHOIS, from European Academic Research Network Association (EARN)
  • Whois specs (rfc0954.txt) NICNAME/WHOIS, by Harrenstien, Stahl, Feinler (October 1985)
  • Whois Servers List (whois-servers.list) List of Internet whois servers, by Matt Power
  • Whois via email: : mail service@nic.ddn.mil Subject: whois HOST.DOMAIN
  • Whois via gopher enter HOST.DOMAIN to query
  • Whois via telnet at the prompt, enter whois host-name
  • Whois via Unix: the Unix command for whois, where `string' is the organization/person name or Internet domain name: unix whois "string"
• X.500
  
  Definition: X.500 (OSI Directory Service) provides globally distributed directory service.
  • X.500 Definition (fyi_13.txt) Executive Introduction to Directory Services Using the X.500 Protocol
  • X.500 info/EARN (x500.html) overview and introduction to X.500, from European Academic Research Network Association (EARN)
  • X.500 Implement (fyi_11.txt) A Revised Catalog of Available X.500 Implementations
  • X.500 Technical (fyi_14.txt) Technical Overview of Directory Services Using the X.500 Protocol
  • X.500 via telnet at the prompt, enter X500whois host-name
  • X.500 via gopher
  • X.500 via WWW (wlu.html) from the X.500 Group at Brunel University

Tools

• Alibi = Adaptive Location of Internetworked Bases of Information
  
  Definition: Alibi provides a query interface to retrieve information by keywords
  • Alibi info source code for Alibi, by Dave Flater
  • Dave Flater: developer of Alibi: mail dave@case50.ncsl.nist.gov
• Archie
  
  Definition: Archie locates files at anonymous FTP sites by filename (or string expression) search.
  • Archie description (whatis.archie) archie - An Electronic Directory Service for the Internet, by Deutsch, Emtage, and Heelan
  • Archie info/EARN (archie.html) overview and information about Archie, from European Academic Research Network Association (EARN)
  • Archie manual page (archie.man.txt) reference manual page for archie
  • Archie via telnet a telnet demo of archie Login as : archie
  • Archie via gopher a collection of information and links about archie, from Texas A and M University
  • Archie via WWW (archie.html) List of Hypertext Archie Servers (ArchiePlex), by Martijn Koster
  • Archie via Unix: Unix command line for hosts with installed archie client, search for STRING: unix archie -s STRING
  • Archie via email: use archie via email: mail archie@archie.unl.edu Body: "help"
  • Anarchie a Mac client that integrates archie searches and ftp requests, by Peter Lewis
• Astra
  
  Definition: Astra retrieve documents from databases.
  • Astra Help: the help file for Astra: mail astradb@icnucevm.bitnet Body: "help"
  • Astra documentation: Astra User Guide: mail astradb@icnucevm.bitnet Body: "GET META DOCUMENT"
• Bitftp
  
  Definition: Bitftp allows the user to use electronic mail to obtain files at an ftp site via email.
  • Bitftp info/EARN (notice.html) from European Academic Research Network Association (EARN)
• Essence
  
  Definition: Essence is a resource discovery system using indexes.
  • Essence FAQ (FAQ.txt) The distribution includes the following files and directories
  • Essence documents Essence -- A Resource Discovery System Based on Semantic File Indexing
  • Harvest this includes the essence software
• FSP = File Service Protocol
  
  Definition: FSP is a conectionless protocol for transferring files.
  • FSP INFO (INFO) an overview and description of FSP
  • FSP FAQ (FAQ) Frequently Asked Questions about FSP
  • FSP Sites FSP Site Database, maintained by Dan Charrois
  • FSP software
  • FSP Discussion (alt.comp.fsp) an unmoderated Usenet discussion group about FSP
• FTP = File Transfer Protocol
  
  Definition: FTP retrieves or puts copies of files at remote FTP sites.
  • FTP how to (how.to.ftp.guide) A guide to using ftp
  • FTP (rfc0959.txt) File Transfer Protocol
  • FTP FAQ (faq) Anonymous FTP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List
  • FTP Interface (ftp-interface.html) look at ftp site lists
  • FTP via Unix: Unix command for ftp, once in, type help: unix ftp
  • FTP via email: get files at anonymous ftp sites via email.: mail ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com Body: "help"
  • FTP via telnet site at Univ of IA
  • File Compression (compression) File compression, archiving, and textbinary formats, by David Lemson
  • FTP setup (anonymous_ftp)
• Jughead
  
  Definition: Jughead gets menu information from gopher servers.
  • Jughead description (jughead.ReadMe) description of Jonzy's Universal Gopher Hierarchy Excavation And Display (JUGHEAD) current status, by Rhett `Jonzy' Jones
  • Jughead Search
• Knowbot
  
  Definition: Knowbot provides a uniform interface to heterogeneous remote directory services.
  • Knowbot via telnet use a knowbot service via telnet; at the prompt, type `help'
• Maltshop
  
  Definition: Maltshop builds a veronica-access menu on your local gopher server.
  • Maltshop script
• Netserv
  
  Definition: Netserv is a server for access to data files and programs of general interest.
  • Netserv: a server for access to data files and programs of general interest: mail netserv@frmop11.bitnet Body: "get netserv helpfile"
  • Netserv info/EARN (netserv.html) from European Academic Research Network Association (EARN)
• Soft-Pages
  
  Definition: Soft Pages aids in retrieval of documents, software, and other resources from servers.
  • Soft Pages documentation
  • Project description (osi-ds-39-00.txt) Soft Pages Project, by Johannsen and Mansfield
• Spiders
  
  Definition: Spiders are a class of software programs that traverse network hosts gathering information from and about resources.
  ----- Lists, information and collections
  • Web Spiders (robots.html) World Wide Web Robots, Wanderers, and Spiders, by Martijn Koster
  • Yahoo List Reference--Searching the Web--Robots, Spiders, etc., from Yahoo
    ----- A selected list of Web spiders:
  • WebAnts a project for cooperating, distributed Web spiders
  • Harvest tools to gather, extract, organize, search, cache, and replicate information available over the Net
  • Crawler (WebQuery.html) gathers indexes of the total contents of documents, as well as URLSs and titles, by Brian Pinkerton
  • JumpStation indexes the titles and headers of documents on the Web, by Jonathon Fletcher
  • Lycos uses information metrics to record the 100 most important words in a document, along with the first 20 lines, so that users can often determine the value of a WWW document without retrieving it
  • MOMspider a spider that you can install on your system (Unix/Perl)
  • NIKOS allows a topic-oriented search of a spider database
  • RBSE URL (urlsearch.html) a database of URL references, with full WAIS indexing of the contents of the documents, by David Eichmann
  • SG-Scout (SG-Scout.html) a robot for finding Web servers
  • Wandex (index) index from the World Wide Web Wanderer, by Matthew Gray
  • Worm (WWWW.html) gathers information about titles and URLs from Web servers, by Oliver McBryan
• Telnet
  
  Definition: Telnet allows a user to login to a remote computer to use applications.
  • Telnet how (how.to.telnet.guide) a guide to using telnet
  • Telnet tips (TELNET.html)
  • TELNET (rfc0818.txt) Telnet Protocol
  • Telnet demo check the weather
  • Telnet search find telnet connections based on keyword search
• Trickle
  
  Definition: Trickle is an electronic mail-based alternative to obtaining files at FTP sites.
  • Trickle an email-based alternative to FTP, information
  • Trickle info/EARN (trickle.html) from European Academic Research Network Association (EARN)
  • Trickle guide: : mail listserv@earncc.bitnet Body: "get trickle memo"
• Veronica
  
  Definition: Veronica locates titles of Gopher items by keyword search.
  • Veronica info information about veronica
  • Veronica Queries (how-to-query-veronica)
  • Gopher/Veronica documentation (vol6no1.txt)
  • Veronica via gopher Search ALL of Gopherspace using veronica

Systems

• Alex
  
  Definition: Alex provides transparent read of remote files at anonymous FTP sites.
  • Alex description (NIR.Tool) NIR (Networked Information Retrieval) description of Alex
  • Alex Web Page (alex.html) Alex FTP Filesystem
  • Alex document (intro.ps)
• GN
  
  Definition: GN is a multi-protocol (gopher0, http/1.0) server.
  • GN Description (README)
  • GN Source
• Gopher
  
  Definition: Gopher provides access to resources using a graph of menus.
  • Gopher guide Internet Gopher User's Guide, ed. Paul Linder
  • Gopher info/EARN (gopher.html) gopher overview and introduction, from European Academic Research Network Association (EARN)
  • Gopher sources/info gopher client/server source code, as well as general information (e.g. gopher conference, gopherMoo, etc.)
  • Gopher demo a session demonstrating gopher at Univ of Minnesota
  • Gopher via telnet Login as : gopher
  • Gopher via email/Japan: use a gopher via email: mail gophermail@ncc.go.jp Body: "help"
  • Gopher via email/USA: use a gopher via email: mail gophermail@calvin.edu Body: "help"
  • Gopher FAQ (gopher-faq) Common Questions and Answers about the Internet Gopher, a client/server protocol for making a world wide information service, with many implementations
  • Gopher-Web Gopher in the World-Wide Web, gopher-Web interactions
  • Gopher/Veronica article (vol6no1.txt) Exploring the Power of the Internet Gopher, by Lynn Ward; an article from the University of Illinois publication UIUCnet, Dec. 1992 - Jan. 1993, Vol. 6, No. 1, a newsletter covering campus networking issues
  • Discussion (comp.infosystems.gopher) unmoderated Usenet newsgroup devoted to gopher
• Prospero
  
  Definition: Prospero provides user-centered view of remote files.
  • Prospero document (prospero-user-manual.tex.Z) Prospero user's manual, by Neuman and Augart
  • Prospero info/EARN (prospero.html) from European Academic Research Network Association (EARN)
  • Prospero documentation (README-prospero-documents) description of prospero documentation available
• WAIS = Wide Area Information Server
  
  Definition: WAIS(tm) responds to natural language queries by searching indexes of databases and retrieving resources.
  • WAIS overview (overview.txt) Overview of Wide Area Information Servers, by Brewster Kahle (April 1991)
  • WAIS (wais.txt) A Sketch of An Overview, by Jeff Kallem
  • WAIS info/EARN (wais.html) WAIS overview and introduction, from European Academic Research Network Association (EARN)
  • WAIS documentation information on WAIS, Inc. and products
  • WAIS, Inc. web interactive on-line publishing systems and services to organizations
  • WAIS clients client to WAIS in different interfaces (X)
  • freeWAIS a UNIX based, freely available information server.
  • WAIS via telnet Login as : wais
  • WAIS via gopher
  • WAISGATE (directory-of-servers.html) WAIS to WWW gateway, search WAIS databases through search terms, public directory maintained by WAIS, Inc.
  • SFgate (SFgate.html) a CGI script which interfaces to WAIS servers, all freeWAIS servers can be connected, by Ulrich Pfeifer
  • Discussion-WAIS (comp.infosystems.wais) an unmoderated Usenet newsgroup covering all aspects of WAIS
• WWW = World Wide Web
  
  Definition: The WWW is a global, distributed system for disseminating hypermedia resources through servers and retrieving hypermedia resources through browsers on global or local computer networks.
  -----Overviews
  • WWW overview/CERN (default.html) overview of the Web, from Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire (CERN) European Laboratory for Particle Physics, Geneva, Switzerland (birthplace of WWW)
  • WWW info/EARN (www.html) What is World-Wide Web, a narrative introducing and explaining the Web, from European Academic Research Network Association (EARN)
  • WWW Guide/Hughes (guide.toc.html) Entering the World-Wide Web, A Guide to Cyberspace, by Kevin Hughes
  • WWW-Yahoo Computers-World Wide Web
    -----FAQs
  • WWW FAQ/Boutell (www_faq.html) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list and answers about the Web--covers user, provider, and general information, maintained by Thomas Boutell
  • WWW FAQ/CERN (List.html) Frequently Asked Questions on W3, by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN
    -----Access
  • WWW via email: obtain a web file (e.g., http) via email; URL = Uniform resource locator; send message body 'www URL'; use the message body HELP to get instructions: mail agora@mail.w3.org Body: "WWW"
  • WWW via telnet an example of using WWW via telnet (to CERN)
  • WWW ftp info some information files about the Web, includes papers, guides, and draft specifications, from CERN
  • WWW gopher info some information files about the Web available via gopher
  • Bootstrap (Bootstrap.html) information about gaining more information about and accessing the Web
    -----Software
  • WWW Clients (Clients.html) a list of programs (Web browsers) that allow you to access the WWW, from CERN
  • WWW Browsers/Yahoo list from Yahoo, Computers-World Wide Web-Browsers
  • WWW Servers (Overview.html) a list of programs (Web servers) that allow you to provide information on the Web, from CERN
  • EIT WSK Enterprise Integration Technologies Corporation's Webmaster's Starter Kit, a resource to help you install a Web server and optional extensions
    -----Developing Information
  • CyberWeb a resource collection for Web information providers and users, includes general information and links to various resources
  • HTML Developer's (dev-page.html) WWW + HTML Developer's JumpStation, maintained by SingNet and hosted by OneWorld Information Services
  • WWW Weavers a collection of links to assist web weavers, includes pointers to HTML resources, techniques, guides, and information, by Chris Beaumont
    -----Navigating the Web
  • WWW Spiders (nir-tools-spiders.html) Spiders are a class of software programs that traverse network hosts gathering information from and about resources
  • WWW gateways interfaces between the WWW and other information or communication systems
  • WWW Servers/sites A comprehensive list of WWW sites generated from a Web Wanderer program, by Matthew Gray
  • WWW Servers/geo (Servers.html) a long list of registered WWW servers listed geographically by continent and country
  • WWW Sites(CityLink) state and city web sites
  • WWW Sites(Virtual Tourist) (world) a geographic map to aid in locating Web sites and other resources
  • Web Sites index (home.html) index to WWW sites, by John Doyle
  • Web Sites/Time (worldmap.html) Timex World Time--shows Time zones with current time and WWW sites in each
    -----News and discussion
  • webNews (webNews.80) announcements of new Web sites, services, and software
  • WWW Conferences (Overview-WWW.html) International conferences on the Web, past and future
  • WWW-Announce (charter.html) charter for the moderated Usenet newsgroup comp.infosystems.www.announce
  • WWW-Announce (comp.infosystems.www.announce) a moderated newsgroup announcing new WWW resources
  • WWW Usenet Groups (web-groups.html)
    -----Bibliography
  • WWW Bibliography (Bibliography.html) papers and articles about the Web

Interfaces

• Lists
  
  For a longer list of World Wide Web browsers, see:
  • WWW Browser source source code for a variety of Web browsers for different hardware platforms
  • WWW Clients (Clients.html) a list of programs to allow you to access the WWW from your own computer
  • WWW Browsers/Clients (syslib.html) from UNITE
  • WWW Browsers/Yahoo list from Yahoo, Computers-World Wide Web-Browsers
• Arena
  
  Definition: Arena is a WWW broswer intended to test out HTML3.
  • Arena home World Wide Web Organization's (W3O's) HTML3 browser
  • Arena source
• Chimera
  
  Definition: Chimera is a HTTP, FTP, Gopher client with an X/Athena interface.
  • Chimera source
  • Chimera Home Page (index.html) a HTTP, FTP, Gopher client with X/Athena interface, by John Kilburg
• Cello
  
  Definition: Cello is a DOS-based Internet browser incorporating WWW, Gopher, FTP, Telnet, News.
  • Cello source source code
• Compass
  
  Definition: Compass is a system for Internet access to resources and tools for CERFnet subscribers;
  • Compass description (compass.txt) Internet Compass-your network guide, CERFnet offers new service for easier Internetting
• EINet WinWeb, MacWeb
  
  Definition: WinWeb (for Windows) and MacWeb (for Macintosh) are full-featured WWW browsers
  Note: shareware, 30 day evaluation period.
  • WinWeb (WinWebHome.html)
  • WinWeb source
  • MacWeb (MacWebHome.html)
  • MacWeb source
• Emacs-WWW-browser
  
  Definition: Emacs is a WWW browser for use with the emacs text editor.
  • Emacs WWW (docs.html) an Emacs subsystem that allows the user to browse the World Wide Web
  • Emacs WWW source
• Fred
  
  Definition: Fred is an interface to the OSI X.500 white pages directory service.
  • Fred Performance Systems International White Pages Pilot Project Login as : fred
• GINA
  
  Definition: Gina $ stands for Graphical Interface for Network Access (client/server) to email, conferencing, bbs, and other information sources.
  Contact: The California Technology Project, P.O. Box 3842, Seal Beach, CA 90740-7842.
• Hyper-G
  
  Definition: Hyper-G is a large-scale, multi-user distributed hypermedia information system.
  • Hyper-G via WWW (ROOT) Hyper-G gateway at Graz Univ. of Technology
• Hytelnet
  
  Definition: Hytelnet provides access to a database of Internet telnet connects through hypertext (on network or TSR for DOS).
  • Hytelnet info/EARN (hytelnet.html) information and overview of Hytlenet, from European Academic Research Network Association (EARN)
  • Hytelnet source includes source for PC, Macintosh, Unix, and VMS; Peter Scott's Hypertext database of publicly accessible Internet sites
  • Hytelnet via telnet from the University of Arizona Login as : hytelnet
  • Hytelnet via gopher from Washington University in St. Louis
  • Hytelnet via WWW (START.TXT.html) from the University of Kansas
  • Hytelnet search given a keyword, returns Hytelnet entries
  • Hytelnet Web search (HYTELNET.html) search all Hytelnet resource entries, via a web form, from Galaxy
• Internet-in-a-box
  
  Definition: Internet-in-a-box $ gives you graphical user interface access on PCs (standalone or LAN) to news, gopher, mail, telnet, ftp, from O'Reilly/Spry.
  • Internet-in-a-box: : mail info@ibox.com Body: "help"
  • Internet In a Box web (intabox.html)
• Minuet
  
  Definition: Minuet is graphical interface integrating email, gopher, telnet, Usenet news, and ftp.
  • Minuet FAQ (minuet-faq) Minnesota Internet Users Essential Tool Frequently Asked Questions with Answers
• Mosaic
  
  Definition: Mosaic is a client for network distributed hypermedia information and discovery.
  • Mosaic home page (NCSAMosaicHome.html) describes Mosaic, Internet information browser and World Wide Web client
  • Mosaic FAQ (mosaic-faq.html)
  • Mosaic (README.Mosaic) description of how to download and run NCSA Mosaic
  • Mosaic paper (mosaic.ps.Z) NCSA Mosaic Technical Summary, by Marc Andreessen
  • Mosaic article (markoff.html) an HTML version of a New York Times article about Mosaic by John Markoff
  • Amiga Mosaic (home.html)
  • Mosaic: bring up Mosaic on system with client installed: unix mosaic
• Lynx
  
  Definition: Lynx is an ASCII terminal browser for the World Wide Web.
  • Lynx info
  • Lynx Web info (www_start.html) Welcome to Lynx and the world of the web
• Netscape
  
  Definition: Netscape is a WWW browser for MS Windows, Macintosh, and X.
  • Netscape Communications home page of Netscape Communications Universe, developers of Netscape
  • Netscape news (index.html) information about the free release of Netscape
  • Netscape source FTP site for Netscape source
• Samba
  
  Definition: Samba is a Macintosh browser for the World Wide Web.
  • Samba source
  • Samba Status (Status.html)
• SlipKnot
  
  Definition: a Windows-based graphical WWW browser which does NOT require SLIP or PPP or TCP/IP.
  Note: restricted shareware
  • SlipKnot home page (slipknot.html)
• Viola
  
  Definition: Viola is a World Wide Web hypermedia browser for X Window System.
  • Viola info
• Willow
  
  Definition: Willow is a graphical user interface to text-based bibliographic databases, WWW, and Z39.50.
  • Willow (home.html) Washington Information Looker-upper Layered Over Windows